Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

We're generating a ridiculous amount of data every day. Much of it is highly personal and that's dangerous. But there are actually several Privacy Enhancing Technologies that may allow us to use this personal data to improve our collective quality of life without ruining the privacy of the data subjects. I'll be discussing these PETs with Irene Knapp who spent five years working in the privacy department at Google. I will also spend a good bit of time asking them about what it's like working at Google and get some insights about the company's approach to privacy from the inside. (Spoiler: it's not good.)

Interview Notes

Internet Safety Labs: https://internetsafetylabs.org/about-us/ 

Irene’s Google departure post: https://medium.com/@Irenes/on-the-occasion-of-leaving-google-b8c7029c8d8b 

Coworker.org: https://coworker.org 

Google loses privacy chief: https://www.techspot.com/news/103268-google-privacy-chief-head-competition-law-leaving-not.html 

Further Info

BOOK SURGE!! https://fdsd.me/booksurge 

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:01:40: Interview setup

0:03:56: What is Internet Safety Labs and what do you do there?

0:05:45: Why do we not have liability in the software industry?

0:07:02: How did you come to work for Google and what was your experience like there?

0:07:58: What caused you to eventually leave?

0:10:26: How did private policy evolve while you were at Google?

0:12:36: What was happening in Google that impeded your efforts?

0:19:19: How does Google compare to other companies like Facebook?

0:20:56: What's your take on Google's new Privacy Sandbox technology?

0:27:24: Can we do some good with all the data we're collecting?

0:33:51: From where do we derive a legal right to privacy?

0:35:10: How does differential privacy work?

0:38:49: Where might we use differential privacy?

0:41:59: What is homomorphic encryption and how does it work?

0:44:47: Are there any other promising PETs?

0:46:49: How do zero knowledge proofs work?

0:49:20: Which of the PETs seem most promising right now?

0:51:20: Do we need privacy regulations to save us here?

0:56:19: What's next for you?

0:58:31: Interview wrap-up

1:00:52: BOOK SURGE!!

We've talked about how to backup your local device data and how to back up data that is primarily stored in the cloud. But there's a lot of important, irreplaceable data we take for granted: data owned by others. This might be shared online photo albums, cloud document collaborations, eBooks and other digital media, and even websites you frequently rely on. Today we'll talk about how you can make local copies of these files in case they should ever go offline.

In other news: European politicians' personal details exposed online; Proton transitions to non-profit corporate structure; lawsuit claims Microsoft tracked sex toy purchases; online ID verification service exposed drivers licenses; new Mac info-stealer served up by Google Ads; law enforcement is spying on Americans' mail; new ALPR vulnerabilities prove it's a public safety threat; UK hospital hack leaks 300M patient records; US bans Kaspersky software; Sonos removes promise not to sell its users' data; Mozilla buys a 'privacy-centric' ad firm.

Article Links

[proton.me] Cyber house of cards – Politicians’ personal details exposed online https://proton.me/blog/politicians-exposed-dark-web

[proton.me] Proton is transitioning towards a non-profit structure https://proton.me/blog/proton-non-profit-foundation

[404media.co] Lawsuit Claims Microsoft Tracked Sex Toy Shoppers With 'Recording in Real Time' Software https://www.404media.co/lawsuit-claims-microsoft-tracked-sex-toy-shoppers-with-recording-in-real-time-software/

[404media.co] ID Verification Service for TikTok, Uber, X Exposed Driver Licenses https://www.404media.co/id-verification-service-for-tiktok-uber-x-exposed-driver-licenses-au10tix/

[Ars Technica] Mac users served info-stealer malware through Google ads https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/06/mac-info-stealer-malware-distributed-through-google-ads/

[The Washington Post] Law enforcement is spying on thousands of Americans’ mail, records show https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/06/24/post-office-mail-surveillance-law-enforcement/

[Electronic Frontier Foundation] New ALPR Vulnerabilities Prove Mass Surveillance Is a Public Safety Threat https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/06/new-alpr-vulnerabilities-prove-mass-surveillance-public-safety-threat

[TechCrunch] US bans sale of Kaspersky software citing security risk from Russia  https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/20/us-bans-kaspersky-software-security-risk-russia/

[AppleInsider] Sonos removes a promise to not sell personal data, gets busted by users https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/06/15/sonos-removes-a-promise-to-not-sell-personal-data-gets-busted-by-users

[theregister.com] What's up with Mozilla buying ad firm Anonym? It's all about 'privacy-centric advertising' https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/18/mozilla_buys_anonym_betting_privacy/

Tip of the Week: Backing Up Other Data https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-backup-other-data/ 

Further Info

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:00:25: Book blitz coming soon

0:00:55: Dear Carey reminder

0:01:38: Bitwarden bug fixed

0:02:28: News rundown

0:04:22: EU politicians’ personal details exposed online

0:10:37: Proton adopts non-profit structure

0:15:15: Lawsuit Claims Microsoft Tracked Sex Toy Shoppers

0:19:28: ID Verification Service Exposed Driver Licenses

0:27:38: Mac users served info-stealer malware through Google ads

0:32:33: Law enforcement is spying on thousands of Americans’ mail

0:37:49: New ALPR Vulnerabilities Prove Mass Surveillance Is a Public Safety Threat

0:45:22: US bans sale of Kaspersky software

0:54:45: Sonos removes a promise to not sell personal data

0:56:21: What's up with Mozilla buying ad firm Anonym?

1:06:38: Tip of the Week: Backing up other data

1:17:54: Wrap up, look ahead

Every day, we generate tons of digital exhaust: our web browsing, GPS location, online and in-store purchases, emails and messages, social media posts and feed viewing habits, and much, much more. Online marketers and data brokers have been living off these breadcrumbs for years. The intelligence and law enforcement agencies have found this data to be incredibly revealing, and they can buy most of this data on the open market without requiring any sort of warrant - and they have. This has important implications for democratic societies that value privacy and freedom. I'll discuss how this mass surveillance works and what it means for all of us with Byron Tau, author of the book "Means of Control".

Interview Notes

Means of Control: https://www.amazon.com/Means-Control-Alliance-Government-Surveillance/dp/0593443225 

Byron Tau at NOTUS: https://www.notus.org/byron-tau 

Puking Monkey’s DEF CON presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43Ti7c11lY 

Make your EZ Pass “moo”: https://hackaday.com/2013/09/16/modified-e-zpass-detects-reads-far-from-toll-booths/ 

Official US policy on collecting public info on citizens: https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2024/3815-odni-releases-ic-policy-framework-for-commercially-available-information 

Further Info

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:00:58: Update your Windows PCs

0:01:32: Interview setup

0:04:59: How might the collection of online data impact a regular person?

0:10:13: What sorts of things can all this data reveal about us?

0:15:44: How much can we learn by tracking a person's location?

0:17:38: What is 'gray data'?

0:22:40: Our data can be saved virtually forever - what are the ramifications?

0:26:30: How are data gathering rules different for law enforcement vs intelligence agencies?

0:32:54: When did data brokers start selling our info to government agencies?

0:39:22: Is it legal for these agencies to act as data brokers themselves?

0:42:12: What laws have impacted this sort of data collection in the US?

0:44:49: How and why do these agencies hide this data collection?

0:51:02: Are governments sharing data to skirt local restrictions?

0:54:54: How have these spy programs evolved since 9/11?

1:00:28: Have government agencies lobbied Congress against federal privacy laws??

1:03:20: How can we limit data collection and increase our privacy?

1:06:24: Could the Big Tech backlash help get a privacy law passed?

1:08:33: What are you working on next?

1:09:59: Interview follow-up

1:11:36: Looking ahead

Until recently, most of our important data lived primarily on our devices. Backing up that data often meant choosing a cloud backup service. But today, many of our most important photos and files are actually stored in the cloud. While cloud servers are supposed to be more robust than home computers with flaky hard drives and smartphones that get lost or stolen, it also means that someone else is in control of that data. Cloud services go offline, get bought out or even shut down. We now need to be sure to back up our cloud data, too.

In other news: 23andMe breach under investigation by US and Canada; cops release personal location info to FOIA request; hacker gains access to Tile customer data; more car privacy updates; Microsoft Recall backlash highlights our distrust; report shows Microsoft favoring profits over security; Mac Bartender app shadily changes ownership; new Apple privacy features coming.

Article Links

[malwarebytes.com] 23andMe data breach under joint investigation in two countries https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/06/23andme-data-breach-under-joint-investigation-in-two-countries

[theregister.com] Crooks threaten to leak 3B personal records 'stolen from background check firm' https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/03/usdod_data_dump/

[404media.co] Cops Released a Car’s Travel History to a Total Stranger https://www.404media.co/cops-released-a-cars-travel-history-to-a-total-stranger/

[404media.co] Hacker Accesses Internal ‘Tile’ Tool That Provides Location Data to Cops https://www.404media.co/hacker-accesses-internal-tile-tool-that-provides-location-data-to-cops/

[The New York Times] Is Your Driving Being Secretly Scored? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/09/technology/driver-scores-insurance-data-apps.html

[Windows Central] A PR disaster: Microsoft has lost trust with its users, and Windows Recall is the straw that broke the camel's back https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-has-lost-trust-with-its-users-windows-recall-is-the-last-straw

[ProPublica] Microsoft Chose Profit Over Security and Left U.S. Government Vulnerable to Russian Hack, Whistleblower Says https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-solarwinds-golden-saml-data-breach-russian-hackers

[AppleInsider] Adobe's new terms of service unacceptably gives them access to all of your projects, for free https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/06/06/adobes-new-terms-of-service-unacceptably-gives-them-access-to-all-of-your-projects-for-free

[MacRumors] PSA: Bartender Mac App Under New Ownership, But Lack of Transparency Raises Concerns https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/04/bartender-mac-app-new-owner/

[9to5Mac] iOS 18 includes these new privacy features: Lock and hide apps, improved contact permissions, more https://9to5mac.com/2024/06/10/ios-18-includes-these-new-privacy-features-lock-and-hide-apps-improved-contact-permissions-more/

Tip of the Week: Backup Your Cloud Data: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-backup-cloud-data/ 

Further Info

Under New Management plugin: https://github.com/classvsoftware/under-new-management

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:00:52: News preview

0:03:11: 23andMe data breach under joint investigation in two countries

0:07:01: Crooks threaten to leak 3B personal records 'stolen from background check firm'

0:09:52: Cops Released a Car’s Travel History to a Total Stranger

0:14:22: Hacker Accesses Internal ‘Tile’ Tool That Provides Location Data to Cops

0:20:50: Is Your Driving Being Secretly Scored?

0:29:24: Microsoft has lost trust with its users, and Recall is the straw that broke the camel's back

0:38:13: Microsoft Chose Profit Over Security and Left U.S. Government Vulnerable to Russian Hack

0:45:44: Bartender Mac App Under New Ownership, But Lack of Transparency Raises Concerns

0:51:43: iOS 18 includes these new privacy features

0:55:27: Tip of the Week: Backup Your Cloud Data

1:04:36: Looking ahead

Encrypted communications are important for everyone, even if you have nothing to hide. But they're also important when you're trying to hide global criminal operations. Drug smugglers and money launderers have special needs when it comes to secure messaging. Several phone companies were created to address this market. Unfortunately for the criminals, the most popular one - Anom - was secretly run by the FBI. Today Joseph Cox from 404 Media will tell us about this astoundingly audacious sting operation, which is the basis for his book, Dark Wire.

Interview Notes

Order Dark Wire: https://a.co/d/h9o7ump

Anom website (right before take down): https://web.archive.org/web/20210507151115/http://anom.io/ 

Phantom Secure website (circa 2017): https://web.archive.org/web/20170330122723/http://phantomsecure.com/ 

Vice Anom story: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7b4gg/anom-phone-arcaneos-fbi-backdoor 

Anom phone video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA1KS-xh0n0 

Operation Trojan Shield: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Trojan_Shield 

Trojan Shield press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S89O0nis_ss 

Encrochat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EncroChat 

Further Info

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:00:54: Migrating to Mastodon

0:02:24: Embracing the dark... mode

0:02:45: Countdown to 400

0:03:28: Interview setup

0:04:30: How did this all start with you on an obscure forum for criminals?

0:08:34: What was Operation Trojan Shield?

0:10:49: How did the FBI start a secure phone company?

0:12:41: What were some of Anom's key tech features?

0:15:26: Where did they get the Arcane Operating System?

0:17:56: How did the 'duress' feature work?

0:20:18: How did Anom copy encrypted messages without being detected?

0:24:35: How were these phones marketed to criminals?

0:28:10: What does these phones cost?

0:30:09: What were the legal aspects for this multi-national operation?

0:34:49: How did they use this intelligence without revealing the source?

0:39:38: Did the criminals ever suspect the phones?

0:42:04: How did this all come to an end?

0:46:14: So, are we 'going dark' or not?

0:49:27: What lessons did the FBI take away from all this?

0:51:36: Can we still trust things like Signal and Proton?

0:55:39: What's your next big story or book?

0:58:09: Interview end notes

1:03:12: Looking ahead

Most major social media platforms are a hot mess. Your feed is filled with tons of crap you never asked to see and your data is mined mercilessly to serve you targeted ads. The promise of having a place to trade interesting posts with friends and family is now muddied up with sponsored content chosen by hidden algorithms optimized to keep you scrolling. It doesn't have to be that way. I've found something much better, and I'm inviting you to come join me.

In other news: Ticketmaster breach leaks data on half a billion users; the iOS bug that resurrected deleted photos explained; GPT-4 can write working malware based only on CVE bug descriptions; Slack customers upset to learn that their data was being used to train AI systems; WiFi location service can be used to track mobile routers; police are trialing new devices that can track and identify you based on multiple electronic signals; new Windows AI feature records everything you do on your PC; Microsoft rolling out welcome changes to admin privilege use; Google adding several privacy and security features to Android 15; and iVerify how has an Android app.

Article Links

[Mashable] Ticketmaster hacked. Breach affects more than half a billion users. https://mashable.com/article/ticketmaster-data-breach-shinyhunters-hack

[9to5Mac] Security Bite: Here’s the iOS 17.5 bug that resurfaced deleted photos https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/26/security-bite-heres-the-ios-17-5-bug-that-resurfaced-deleted-photos/

[Dark Reading] GPT-4 Can Exploit Most Vulns Just by Reading Threat Advisories https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/gpt-4-can-exploit-most-vulns-just-by-reading-threat-advisories

[securityweek.com] User Outcry as Slack Scrapes Customer Data for AI Model Training https://www.securityweek.com/user-outcry-as-slack-scrapes-customer-data-for-ai-model-training/

[9to5Mac] Apple Location Services vulnerability can enable troop movements to be tracked https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/24/apple-location-services-vulnerability/

[Forbes] New Police Tech Can Detect Phones, Pet Trackers And Library Books In A Moving Car https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2024/05/14/police-car-surveillance-tech-uncovers-phones-pet-trackers-and-library-books/

[Ars Technica] New Windows AI feature records everything you’ve done on your PC https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/microsofts-new-recall-feature-will-record-everything-you-do-on-your-pc/

[PCWorld] Microsoft battens security hatches on Windows admin accounts https://www.pcworld.com/article/2344405/microsoft-battens-security-hatches-on-oft-used-windows-admin-accounts.html

[Lifehacker] Google Is Rolling Out Some Great Privacy Features to Android This Year https://lifehacker.com/tech/google-is-rolling-out-some-great-privacy-features-with-android-15

[iverify.io] iVerify Basic is now on Android! https://www.iverify.io/post/iverify-basic-is-now-on-android

Tip of the Week: Move to Mastodon https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-move-to-mastodon/ 

Further Info

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:02:34: Ticketmaster hacked, breach affects more than half a billion users

0:05:59: Here’s the iOS 17.5 bug that resurfaced deleted photos

0:12:28: GPT-4 Can Exploit Most Vulns Just by Reading Threat Advisories

0:17:36: User Outcry as Slack Scrapes Customer Data for AI Model Training

0:23:12: Apple Location Services vulnerability can enable troop movements to be tracked

0:34:15: New Police Tech Can Detect Phones, Pet Trackers And Library Books In A Moving Car

0:41:02: New Windows AI feature records everything you’ve done on your PC

0:46:36: Microsoft battens security hatches on Windows admin accounts

0:51:06: Google Is Rolling Out Some Great Privacy Features to Android This Year

0:55:08: iVerify Basic is now on Android

0:56:00: Tip of the Week: Migrate to Mastodon

1:03:21: Looking ahead

Our privacy has never been more threatened. While some of us are vaguely aware of this, most of the rampant data collection and sharing is completely opaque. And the consequences are more dire than most of us realize. We can't afford to be complacent. We need to push back, to ask questions, and make better choices. Privacy-respecting apps and services do exist today. Making a deliberate and overt decision to use them will force the market (and our elected representatives) to take notice. My guest Naomi Brockwell from NBTV will make a compelling case for privacy and reclaiming control of our data, including several top notch tips for doing so.

Interview Notes

Naomi Brockwell’s NBTV: https://www.nbtv.media/  

A World Without Privacy: https://www.nbtv.media/episodes/a-world-without-privacy 

A Beginner’s Introduction to Privacy: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Introduction-Privacy-Naomi-Brockwell-ebook/dp/B0BQHS8MFS 

Who can access your car remotely? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff9pmaSdZV8 

Naomi Brockwell on All Things Secured: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0WjIWBQEBM 

Michael Bazzell’s Extreme Privacy resources: https://inteltechniques.com/links.html 

Try Proton! https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/its-time-to-try-proton/ 

Try Signal! https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-switch-to-signal/ 

Further Info

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:02:58: How did you become a privacy evangelist?

0:06:51: What are some of the most mind-blowing ways we leak personal data?

0:09:56: What were some of Orwell's most prescient predictions in 1984?

0:15:49: How is surveillance different in real life from 1984?

0:22:23: How does data collection skew the power balance between citizens and authorities?

0:26:36: How do you counter the "I have nothing to hide" argument?

0:29:55: Why is it so important to normalize the use of privacy tools?

0:33:46: What changes do you recommend and what are the impacts for making them?

0:45:48: If you've given away tons of personal data already, is it too late?

0:50:07: What can we do to push vendors to respect our privacy more?

0:57:49: What's the future of privacy look like?

1:00:15: Post-interview notes

1:06:11: Looking ahead

Security experts talk at length about how to choose a good password - but we don't often talk about how to choose a good PIN code. A recent analysis by a researcher shows popular patterns humans use when choosing PIN codes, and therefore what you should avoid doing.

In the news: MediSecure e-Rx firm hit by data breach; CISA warns of active D-Link router exploit; a couple cases of insecure APIs being abused; 53k Nissan employees' SSN's leaked; new macOS malware called Cuckoo; Ascension Healthcare suffers cyberattack; Proton user's poor OpSec gives him away; TunnelVision VPN attack exploits DHCP feature; Maryland & Vermont pass data privacy laws; tracker detection feature debuts on iPhone & Android.

Article Links

[BleepingComputer] MediSecure e-script firm hit by ‘large-scale’ data breach https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/medisecure-e-script-firm-hit-by-large-scale-ransomware-data-breach/

[The Hacker News] CISA Warns of Actively Exploited D-Link Router Vulnerabilities https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/cisa-warns-of-actively-exploited-d-link.html

[Ars Technica] How I upgraded my water heater and discovered how bad smart home security can be https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/how-i-upgraded-my-water-heater-and-discovered-how-bad-smart-home-security-can-be/

[BleepingComputer] Dell API abused to steal 49 million customer records in data breach https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/dell-api-abused-to-steal-49-million-customer-records-in-data-breach/

[infosecurity-magazine.com] 53,000 Nissan Employees' Social Security Numbers Exposed https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/employees-social-security-nissan/

[Tom's Guide] New Cuckoo macOS malware can take over all Macs and steal your passwords https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/malware-adware/new-cuckoo-macos-malware-can-take-over-all-macs-and-steals-your-passwords-too-dont-fall-for-this

[Dark Reading] Ascension Healthcare Suffers Major Cyberattack https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/ascension-healthcare-hit-by-cyberattack

[restoreprivacy.com] Proton Mail Discloses User Data Leading to Arrest in Spain https://restoreprivacy.com/protonmail-discloses-user-data-leading-to-arrest-in-spain/

[Ars Technica] Novel attack against virtually all VPN apps neuters their entire purpose https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/05/novel-attack-against-virtually-all-vpn-apps-neuters-their-entire-purpose/

[mullvad.net] Evaluating the impact of TunnelVision https://mullvad.net/en/blog/evaluating-the-impact-of-tunnelvision

[epic.org] Vermont Passes Landmark Data Privacy Bill https://epic.org/vermont-passes-landmark-data-privacy-bill/

[epic.org] Governor Moore Signs Maryland Online Data Privacy Act https://epic.org/governor-moore-signs-maryland-online-data-privacy-act/

[9to5Mac] Here’s how the new Cross-Platform Tracking Detection works https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/13/cross-platform-tracking-detection-ios-17-5/

Tip of the Week: How to Choose a PIN https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-choose-a-pin/ 

Further Info

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:00:34: Update Apple devices, Chrome

0:01:16: A note on supporting Firefox

0:03:48: News preview

0:07:00: MediSecure hit by large-scale data breach

0:09:01: CISA Warns of Actively Exploited D-Link Router Vulnerabilities

0:13:14: How I upgraded my water heater and discovered how bad smart home security can be

0:19:46: Dell API abused to steal 49 million customer records

0:23:11: 53,000 Nissan Employees' Social Security Numbers Exposed

0:27:06: New Cuckoo macOS malware can take over all Macs and steal your passwords

0:32:41: Ascension Healthcare Suffers Major Cyberattack

0:35:22: Proton Mail Discloses User Data Leading to Arrest in Spain

0:43:35: Novel attack against virtually all VPN apps neuters their entire purpose

0:47:28: Mullvad: Evaluating the impact of TunnelVision

0:55:48: Vermont & Maryland Pass Data Privacy Laws

0:58:27: Here’s how the new Cross-Platform Tracking Detection works

1:01:50: Tip of the Week: How to Choose a PIN

1:10:12: Looking ahead

Russia has been hacking Ukraine for at least a decade now, but since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, the cyber war has changed. Instead of being a tactical element, cyber war is now a full-fledged strategic aspect of the conflict, on both sides. At the outset, Ukraine put out an official call to enlist cyber warriors from around the globe to their cause in what's been called the IT Army of Ukraine. Today we'll look at how this group was formed, how it operates, and what we should all be learning from what's happening there. My guest is Dina Temple-Raston from The Record, the Click Here Podcast, and formerly NPR.

Interview Notes

Dina Temple-Raston at The Record: https://therecord.media/author/dina-temple-raston 

Click Here podcast: https://therecord.media/podcast 

Click Here, Episode 98: “Lessons from the world's first hybrid war”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/click-here/id1225077306?i=1000639045741 

NPR’s I’ll Be Seeing You: https://www.npr.org/series/760566025/ill-be-seeing-you 

Operation Glowing Symphony: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/26/763545811/how-the-u-s-hacked-isis 

Further Info

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:04:50: How did you get into covering cybersecurity and cyber warfare?

0:06:48: When and how did Russian cyber attacks begin in Ukraine?

0:15:40: What is the IT Army of Ukraine and what is its origin?

0:20:47: Have we seen other cyberwar volunteer organizations?

0:23:05: How are information and communications being utilized by the IT Army?

0:26:53: How has Russia responded to this?

0:28:34: How are IT Army members recruited and vetted?

0:30:17: How are objectives coordinated?

0:31:20: Where are IT Army members coming from?

0:32:03: Do we know if Western military members are participating in the IT Army?

0:36:30: What are the military lessons to be learned here?

0:42:11: What should civilians be learning from all of this?

0:46:01: What's next for you and Click Here?

0:47:14: Wrap-up and looking ahead

Google's Chrome browser has dominated the planet - both on desktop computers and mobile devices. Furthermore, many other popular web browsers are actually based on the same Google-made Chromium browser engine, including Microsoft Edge and Brave Browser. This gives Google an inordinate amount of influence on web standards, in particular preventing better privacy protections. We need to support privacy-forward alternatives lest they disappear.

In other news: US passes expanded mass surveillance policies instead of curbing them; TikTok ban bill becomes law giving Bytedance a year to sell it; UK's Investigatory Powers Bill amendment passes; photo-sharing app will use users' uploaded images to train AI; Health insurers Kaiser and Change Healthcare are hacked; antivirus software service installs malware on user's systems; FCC fines telecom's $200M; CISA director pushes for vendor accountability; CISA's proactive protection programs are making positive impacts; UK becomes first country to enforce strong and strict IoT security requirements; net neutrality is back; Google again delays killing third party cookies.

Article Links

[Electronic Frontier Foundation] U.S. Senate and Biden Administration Shamefully Renew and Expand FISA Section 702, Ushering in a Two Year Expansion of Unconstitutional Mass Surveillance https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/04/us-senate-and-biden-administration-shamefully-renew-and-expand-fisa-section-702-0

[TechCrunch] Biden signs bill that would ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to sell the app https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/24/biden-signs-bill-that-would-ban-tiktok-if-bytedance-fails-to-sell-the-app/

[theregister.com] UK's Investigatory Powers Bill to become law despite tech world opposition https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/26/investigatory_powers_bill/

[TechCrunch] Photo-sharing community EyeEm will license users photos to train AI if they don’t delete them https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/26/photo-sharing-community-eyeem-will-license-users-photos-to-train-ai-if-they-dont-delete-them/

[TechCrunch] Health insurance giant Kaiser notifies millions of a data breach https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/25/kaiser-permanente-health-plan-millions-data-breach/

[TechCrunch] Change Healthcare hackers broke in using stolen credentials — and no MFA, says UHG CEO https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/30/uhg-change-healthcare-ransomware-compromised-credentials-mfa/

[Ars Technica] Hackers infect users of antivirus service that delivered updates over HTTP https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/04/hackers-infect-users-of-antivirus-service-that-delivered-updates-over-http/

[BleepingComputer] FCC fines carriers $200 million for illegally sharing user location https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/fcc-fines-carriers-200-million-for-illegally-sharing-user-location/

[cybersecuritydive.com] CISA director pushes for vendor accountability and less emphasis on victims’ errors https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-highlights-vendors-errors/714300/

[therecord.media] More than 800 vulnerabilities resolved through CISA ransomware notification pilot https://therecord.media/vulnerabilities-resolved-through-cisa-pilot

[therecord.media] UK becomes first country to ban default bad passwords on IoT devices https://therecord.media/united-kingdom-bans-defalt-passwords-iot-devices

[WIRED] Net Neutrality Returns to a Very Different Internet https://www.wired.com/story/fcc-net-neutrality-rules-vote/

[Ars Technica] Google delays third-party cookie death again: Now scheduled for 2025 https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/04/google-delays-third-party-cookie-death-again-now-scheduled-for-2025/

Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/its-time-to-quit-chrome/ 

Further Info

Under New Management plugin: https://github.com/classvsoftware/under-new-management 

Donate to Mozilla (Firefox): https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/donate/ 

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:01:29: Updates on previous stories

0:02:38: Newsletter DMARC fixed

0:03:34: News preview

0:07:05: U.S. Shamefully Renews and Expands FISA Section 702

0:14:03: Biden signs bill that would ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to sell

0:16:36: UK's Investigatory Powers Bill to become law

0:20:29: EyeEm will license users photos to train AI if they don’t delete them

0:27:46: Health insurance giant Kaiser notifies millions of a data breach

0:30:42: Change Healthcare hackers broke in using stolen credentials

0:34:42: Hackers infect users of antivirus service that delivered updates over HTTP

0:39:25: FCC fines carriers $200 million for illegally sharing user location

0:42:21: CISA director pushes for vendor accountability and less emphasis on victims’ errors

0:45:27: More than 800 vulnerabilities resolved through CISA ransomware notification pilot

0:48:51: UK becomes first country to ban default bad passwords on IoT devices

0:54:30: Net Neutrality Returns to a Very Different Internet

0:58:12: Google delays third-party cookie death again

1:00:44: Tip of the Week

1:11:31: Looking ahead